One week down, five to go, and the Crikey community has risen to the challenge.

Our Citizen Crikey bloggers, holed up in the nation’s marginal seats, have been sending in reports by the day — check them out here. If you would like to get involved, send your reports to citizencrikey@crikey.com.au.

Following are some of the recent highlights:

Hindmarsh. Cold weather, persistence, and shopping malls

Andrew Roff writes: In the past couple of days our little household has received an avalanche of literature from the Labor and Liberal candidates for Hindmarsh. Much to the bemusement of my flatmates I’ve rescued this political pulp from the rotting junk-mail graveyard behind our kitchen bin. The pitches from Rita Bouras (Lib) and MP Steve Georganas (ALP) share some similarities. Apparently they both enjoy water, education, long walks on the beach, and helping the common man. They’re both proposing some stormwater recycling plant that will apparently end the water crisis in Adelaide. Jolly good, then. The differences are more interesting. Skye Jacobi has beaten me to the punch and pointed out that, as young people, we’re a little turned off by Georganas’ fixation (fetish?) for the elderly. I realise that I live in an electorate that skews old, but did he really need to put out a separate booklet featuring pages of toothless, smiling endorsements from people who were around for federation? — Click here to read more

Braddon. Practical project? Excuse me?

Mike Walker writes: The justification for the takeover has been bedevilled with misinformation right from the start. There is no “Mersey Hospital”. It’s the “North West Regional Hospital – Mersey Campus” in Latrobe, right on the eastern edge of Braddon, the main campus being in Burnie 60km west and more central to the region. It used to be in Lyons, which is why the hospital is there and not in Devonport, which is just up the road and has a bigger population. There was no talk of closing the hospital, contrary to many media reports, including The Monthly. — Click here to read more

Solomon. Tax cuts? What tax cuts?

Kirsty Gowans writes: At playgroup yesterday none of the 15 mums had heard about the tax cuts promised by the Prime Minister and no-one seemed particularly interested in the details. Getting the kids swimming was the big issue of the day – and quite reasonable too, given that the troppo season is well and truly upon us. — Click here to read more

Meanwhile, in the Crikey Campaign Mailbox … 

The nation’s letterboxes are brimming with advice on who to vote for. If you have any election ads you’d like to share with Crikey readers, send them to boss@crikey.com.au. Malcolm Turnbull, in particular, has been keeping the printers busy:

  And the constituents in Hindmarsh are wondering if sitting member Steve Georganas (ALP) is aware there are people in his electorate who are younger than retirement age:  For more from the Crikey Campaign Mailbox, click here.